This lightened-up turkey lasagna is every bit as comforting as the classic! Layered with lean ground turkey, high-protein cottage cheese, marinara, zucchini and spinach, it bakes up bubbly and delish in under an hour. A crowd-pleasing, healthier take that’s easy enough for a weeknight!
In case you haven’t noticed, healthy lasagna recipes are kind of my jam. Nothing hits on a weeknight like a gorgeous pan of lasagna that feeds my hangry fam for two nights (plus a lunch!).
In true veggie monger fashion, my no noodle zucchini turkey lasagna and eggplant lasagna with cottage cheese are dinner staples in the hummus household.
Today we’re adding noodles into the mix for the ultimate perfectly-cheesy-yet-still-wholesome turkey lasagna. While there’s a smidge more prep work upfront to make lasagna, the end result is so worth it–trust me!
Starring ingredients (and why!)
- Ground turkey: I developed this recipe specifically with lean ground turkey because it makes this super filling while keeping it non-greasy. Lean still has some fat to keep it tender, versus fat free turkey that tends to be dry. The key is draining any residual liquid once cooked so the lasagna isn’t watery!
- Lasagna: I prefer buying regular lasagna that I par-boil for the best texture, but truly any lasagna you love works here as long as you follow the package directions. I tested this recipe with no boil noodles and they worked just fine. It was clear during testing the most important thing is to not overcook the noodles since they’ll keep cooking when it bakes.
- Veggies: It took a bit of trial and error to get the veggies ratio right since they contain so much water. The key is sautéing them long enough to release the liquid and lightly brown. No watery lasagna allowed!
- Cottage cheese: Most turkey lasagna recipes call for ricotta but I honestly prefer cottage cheese in this lasagna. Not only does it offer a protein boost, but I find the texture more creamy and desirable, too!
- Good marinara sauce: Because yes, they make some bad ones. Look for tomatoes, onion, and extra virgin olive oil as the main ingredients. Sauces that rely on added sugar and tomato paste rather than naturally sweet tomatoes are no good for lasagna. If you don’t love it straight out of the jar, it’s a no go for lasagna!
Let’s make it!
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months!
To make ahead, assemble the lasagna per the recipe and store (uncooked) tightly covered in the fridge for up to a day. The next day, let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes then bake per the recipe!
I hope you’re as obsessed with this fun recipe as I am!
I’d be super grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. Comments mean the world to me and your honest feedback helps me to continue to share recipes you’ll crave!
Turkey Lasagna (with veggies and cottage cheese!)
-
Prep Time:
20 minutes -
Cook Time:
30 minutes -
Total Time:
50 minutes -
Yield:
12 pieces 1x -
Category:
Pasta and Noodles -
Method:
Oven -
Cuisine:
Italian
Description
This lightened-up turkey lasagna is every bit as comforting as the classic! Layered with lean ground turkey, high-protein cottage cheese, marinara, zucchini and spinach, it bakes up bubbly and delish in under an hour. A crowd-pleasing, healthier take that’s easy enough for a weeknight!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Set out a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Boil noodles*: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add noodles and cook according to package directions (you want them al dente since they’ll cook in the oven, which tends to be 3-7 min depending on brand.) Drain and lay flat on parchment paper or baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Cook veggies: While water boils, warm ½ tbsp oil in your largest skillet (it’ll need to fit all the sauce later) over medium heat. Once hot, add zucchini, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until browned, stirring often, then add spinach and cook for another 3 minutes, or until fully wilted. (It’s important veggies are fully cooked so lasagna isn’t watery.) Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Make sauce: To the same pan, add remaining ½ tbsp oil. Add turkey and ½ tsp salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any excess water (important so it isn’t watery). Add jars of sauce and stir to combine. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Make cheese layer: Place cottage cheese, ½ cup parmesan, egg, parsley, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mix to combine.
- Assemble: Spread 2 cups meat sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Top with 5 noodles, 4 lengthwise and one in the gap (see photos). Layer on half of the cooked veggies, half of the cottage cheese mixture, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella, and a sprinkle of basil. Repeat with 2 cups more of sauce, remaining noodles, veggies, and cottage cheese.
- Top with a sprinkle of basil and ¾ cup mozzarella. Top with 2 cups more meat sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup mozzarella and 2-4 tbsp more parmesan.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes to help it set before garnishing with more fresh basil and digging in! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
To make this dairy free, use vegan mozzarella cheese and parmesan and my 5-ingredient tofu ricotta.
*If using no-boil noodles, it may take longer to bake–just check with a fork for doneness.
